http://ja-nae.net/blog Adventures In: Experimentation, Imagination & Sophistication Tue, 24 Jan 2012 14:43:58 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.9 en hourly 1 http://ja-nae.net/blog/the-leaders-3-lessons-from-the-girl-scouts http://ja-nae.net/blog/the-leaders-3-lessons-from-the-girl-scouts#comments Fri, 20 Jan 2012 16:40:36 +0000 Ja-Naé Duane http://ja-nae.net/blog/?p=4891 http://ja-nae.net/blog/the-leaders-3-lessons-from-the-girl-scouts/feed 0 http://ja-nae.net/blog/the-revolutionary-change-cycle http://ja-nae.net/blog/the-revolutionary-change-cycle#comments Tue, 03 Jan 2012 13:56:38 +0000 Ja-Naé Duane http://ja-nae.net/blog/?p=4771 We live in a world of constant change. The events of 2011 have exhibited that all too well. As in life, change comes in cycles: birth, growth, death, and renewal. Understanding these cycles can help us thrive in change, rather than fear it. Though change can be painful, it is a source of creativity, innovation and transformation. While working on my upcoming book, How to Create a Revolution, I created the Revolutionary Change Cycle. Take a Look: During my research for the book, I found a transformation system developed by family therapist, Virginia Satir. Divided into five segments, her system illustrates how the family unit can transform the status quo into something new. While not related, it strengthens the correlation of change behavior amongst all group dynamics. Here’s the deal: Feel free to share. Tweet it, Google +, Facebook it, or post it on your own site. I would love your thoughts. The Revolutionary Change Cycle by Ja-Nae Duane is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NoDerivs 3.0 Unported License. Related Posts: The Power of Vulnerability How to Breed a Team of Innovators How to Recognize Opportunity What Do You Believe In ]]> http://ja-nae.net/blog/the-revolutionary-change-cycle/feed 0 http://ja-nae.net/blog/your-true-worth http://ja-nae.net/blog/your-true-worth#comments Tue, 13 Dec 2011 17:03:23 +0000 Ja-Naé Duane http://ja-nae.net/blog/?p=4690 Have you ever felt like you had a fantastic idea, were working hard on something that everyone should know about, or thought that people would line up at the door once they knew what you knew? You’re not alone. Jason was like that as well. Jason had been trying to negotiate this deal for a while now. As a start-up with very little money coming in, he could not afford to do everything that this potential partner was looking for. They were too big. It would be an amazing opportunity, if he could land it. “All I am doing is giving in this deal. Where is the WIN-WIN,” Jason thought. “I’m bringing a ton to the table. No, I do not have the clients that these guys have, but my resources must be worth something too. Isn’t there value in having me as a partner?” When Jason came to me and recanted his story, it became clear what the issue really had been. “Jack, you haven’t realized your true worth yet,” I said to him. He stared at me with a puzzled look. I could tell that he was wondering if I had listened at all to what he was telling me. I [...]]]> http://ja-nae.net/blog/your-true-worth/feed 2 http://ja-nae.net/blog/25-resources-for-creative-thinkers http://ja-nae.net/blog/25-resources-for-creative-thinkers#comments Tue, 08 Nov 2011 14:38:47 +0000 Ja-Naé Duane http://ja-nae.net/blog/?p=4611 Have you ever had a project or deadline in which you had to think of a creative idea to build around? My sister, Samantha, had that same exact problem this weekend. She had been pondering for hours what to do her class project on. When I finally talked to her, she was close to tears. This was a huge project that she had yet to begin or know what it might entail. Here are some resources, I share with her to get her out of a rut. Hope you find them useful: Spark Creativity There are times when we get stuck and have trouble coming up with new ideas. For those occasions, there are a few techniques you can use to trigger that creative impulse and get the creative juices flowing. Here are a few: Carry a Journal. How often do you come up with a great idea only to forget it later?  Well, you can’t really know how often since you forget it.  So get a small notepad and pen and carry them with you wherever you go.  Whenever an interesting thought or idea hits you, write it down.  Take a look at your journal later and you might find something you [...]]]> http://ja-nae.net/blog/25-resources-for-creative-thinkers/feed 2 http://ja-nae.net/blog/how-technology-can-help-you http://ja-nae.net/blog/how-technology-can-help-you#comments Tue, 25 Oct 2011 13:38:27 +0000 Ja-Naé Duane http://ja-nae.net/blog/?p=4667 http://ja-nae.net/blog/how-technology-can-help-you/feed 0 http://ja-nae.net/blog/break-the-rules http://ja-nae.net/blog/break-the-rules#comments Wed, 05 Oct 2011 13:57:15 +0000 Ja-Naé Duane http://ja-nae.net/blog/?p=4608 New adventures and opportunities do not always show up at your door step. Sometimes, you have to break the rules and get out of your comfort zone in order to find them. Here's how.]]> http://ja-nae.net/blog/break-the-rules/feed 1 http://ja-nae.net/blog/setting-the-example http://ja-nae.net/blog/setting-the-example#comments Wed, 14 Sep 2011 12:32:31 +0000 Ja-Naé Duane http://ja-nae.net/blog/?p=4567 Sometimes, it is not always easy to lead a team or turn the other cheek when someone does something to hurt or offend you. I don’t know about you, but my first instinct is to defend and protect myself. However, that does not always solve the issue. Instead, ask yourself the following questions: How can I best handle this situation? If I respond by doing X, what will the outcome be? How do I want this to be resolved? By taking the time and thinking it through, you may find a resolution that you were not expecting and one that opens up other opportunities. Related Posts How to Fail The Secret to Flexibility How Leaders Can Make the Best Decisions ]]> http://ja-nae.net/blog/setting-the-example/feed 2 http://ja-nae.net/blog/how-to-succeed http://ja-nae.net/blog/how-to-succeed#comments Tue, 23 Aug 2011 16:42:18 +0000 Ja-Naé Duane http://ja-nae.net/blog/?p=4553 The English language has made us equate failing with being a failure, when in fact failing is necessary in order to succeed. If we never allow ourselves to fail, then, unless we are born perfect, we’ll never attempt to learn or do anything that risks failure.  When I started my first business, I made many mistakes and “failures” before I got it right.  I didn’t give up or get discouraged because I understood that failing was just a step towards success.  And I was right. In order to succeed, you must allow yourself to fail.  By embracing failure, you create an environment where mishaps invigorate rather than crush you.  In fact, I would suggest you go so far as to aim to fail.  If you haven’t failed, you haven’t been taking risks or learning anything.  To me, that would be the biggest failure. You’ve probably heard Edison’s quote about failing 1,000 times while inventing the light bulb, “I have not failed 1,000 times.  I have successfully discovered 1,000 ways to NOT make a light bulb.”  Great minds like Einstein and Lincoln had the same attitude. How have you failed? What’s the most [...]]]> http://ja-nae.net/blog/how-to-succeed/feed 0 http://ja-nae.net/blog/how-to-use-google-plus-for-business http://ja-nae.net/blog/how-to-use-google-plus-for-business#comments Tue, 02 Aug 2011 13:55:21 +0000 Ja-Naé Duane http://ja-nae.net/blog/?p=4474 Recently, I have been asked by my clients on how they can use Google Plus for their businesses while waiting for the business pages to be opened to the public. Here is my post for Overdrive Interactive giving my thoughts: In just one month Google+ has continued its exponential growth reaching 20 million users last week. A few days ago, Google removed several business accounts from Google plus (such as Ford and Sesame Street), but left other brands such as Mashable (because it transferred the brand to a person – Pete Cashmore) to play in beta. Though there has been an announcement that Google+ will be open to the public shortly, many businesses are wondering when they can create their own proper business page. Let’s explore the importance of preparing your brand for that eventuality and some things you can do in the mean time to prepare. The Importance of Google+ for Brands So why should your brand really care about being on another social platform anyway?  Is this just another channel for engagement? Well, if you care about your company’s online reputation and its search ranking, consider these things: Google Plus VS. Facebook Facebook faces a major challenge from Google. Check out TechnoBomb’s [...]]]> http://ja-nae.net/blog/how-to-use-google-plus-for-business/feed 0 http://ja-nae.net/blog/7-ways-to-help-women-in-technology http://ja-nae.net/blog/7-ways-to-help-women-in-technology#comments Tue, 19 Jul 2011 15:04:25 +0000 Ja-Naé Duane http://ja-nae.net/blog/?p=4424 This weekend, I came across two articles that made me step back for a moment. The first was the Wall Street Journal’s blog post, “Addressing The Lack of Women Leading Tech Start-ups.” In the post, WSJ tries to address the question of “Where are all the women in tech?” They mention that there is no shortage of opinions about the issue but the core of the article isn’t really being addressed. It must be noted overall that equality has come a long way even in the short time that I have been in the professional world. Where the disparity seems to be is why there are so few women in the technology industry. The next article I came across was a TechCrunch response by Michael Arrington entitled, “ Too Few Women In Tech? Stop Blaming The Men.” In the article, Arrington tries to sympathize with the issue but is fed up with the blame game. Can you blame him? I don’t. Below is an infograph compiled by Socialcast.com that looks at a number of dimensions in the technology industry comparing male vs female ratios. A few key insights: According to Dow Jones VentureSource, 11% of U.S. firms with venture-capital backing in 2009 had current or [...]]]> http://ja-nae.net/blog/7-ways-to-help-women-in-technology/feed 4